Voice of the Martyrs says God can work in the unrest in Gaza.

Gaza (MNN) — With the upheaval in Gaza and the Middle East since the Palestinian elections, Christians have faced increased threats and persecution.

In the recent demands against the Palestine Bible Society, Voice of the Martyrs’ Todd Nettleton, says “I think this is probably Islamic militants just trying one more step to eliminate the Gospel from their country, from their land. Hopefully that will not take place. We know that the Word of God is a very powerful tool to reach people and to change people’s lives. And so we pray that the Palestine Bible Society is able to keep a work going in Gaza and is able to keep distributing God’s Word there.”

Nettleton says this is a time when believers really have an opportunity to display Christ to their persecutors. “I think this is a time when they can really show sensitivity and show God’s love to those people and perhaps reach them with the Gospel. So, you know, God has a way of out of threats and out of persecution, He brings about good things. And I think that we can pray that that will happen in this case as well for the people involved in the Palestine Bible Society, but even further, for the people of Palestine.”

The militants detonated a bomb when they delivered their threatening message to the Palestine Bible Society, and Nettleton says, “I think that’s definitely a message that this is not just a letter: ‘we’re here to make sure there’s some action on this.’ And so, you know, that sort of up’s the fear factor a little bit, it up’s the sense of intimidation, the sense of threat, and I think particularly for the people who live in that building, the people who are there who are not involved in the Bible Society, it sends the message, ‘you’d better get rid of these people or else your lives and your homes are in danger.'”

The situation is serious, and Nettleton urges prayer for believers in the region, that they would remain strong in the midst of the hardship.